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As Barack Obama embarks on his first trip to Beijing as president -- and with less than a month to go before the Copenhagen climate change summit -- it's worth asking: Is China's rapid economic growth ravaging the environment? Or are that nation's massive investments in green technology an environmental lifeline -- not to mention a huge headstart in a sector that could drive the economy of the 21st century?

New America Foundation Schwartz Fellow Christina Larson will be discussing these questions Tuesday, Nov. 17, in this week's New America Foundation / Politico live web chat.

Update: This chat has concluded, but a full transcript is archived below.

Past Chats

Whether the issue is health reform, Afghanistan or gays in the military, progressive supporters of President Obama are dismayed by the pace of change -- while critics continue to warn of radical ambitions being cloaked by moderate talk.

Andrés Martinez, director of New America’s Bernard L. Schwartz Fellows Program, will be here at noon ET / 9am PT today to discuss the true nature of our president -- and the implications of policy decisions he's made to date.

Past Chats

In this second New America weekly podcast, Media Relations Manager Kate Brown sits down with Health Policy Program Associate Director Elizabeth Carpenter to discuss the current state of health reform efforts, the debate over the public option, and the prospects for passing legislation.

This month is National Work Family Month. It is coming on the heels of a month that included significant holidays for religious groups in America that highlights the importance of workplace flexibility. September saw Ramadan, a most significant month for Muslims, and Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, significant for Jewish Americans.

During the past few weeks in particular, conflicts between work and religious observance were significant for many religious Americans. Khalil is a Muslim friend of mine who works in the Midwest. He works at a factory in Ohio where I grew up. Friday prayers are very important to his religious life. However, at a time when Midwestern factory jobs are disappearing and job security is scarce, Khalil feels conflicted in taking time from work for religious observance. Ramadan highlights the focus on his faith. It draws attention to an issue Khalil faces all year, how does he remain a good worker in a scarce job market when has Friday work hours, while staying true to his faith and its requirements for prayer?

In this week's New America/Politico Live Chat, Nicholas Thompson will be online to discuss the dueling views on U.S. strategy in Afghanistan -- and how foreign policies forged in the Cold War continue to shape today's debate.

Past Chats

The month of October is National Work Family Month. Families and workers are trying to succeed and survive in this challenging economy. Going into the Fall, the country is focused on health care. Everywhere we go we hear about it. The primary policy debates in Washington focus around health care reform. Throughout the country health care dominates town hall meetings.

Layered on top of this health care debate are the national preparations this month for a possible swine flu pandemic. Schools are setting up quarantine rooms. The government is preparing for the largest inoculation campaign in a generation. Public health officials are engaging in a public education campaign designed to minimize the potential impact of swine flu. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has been issuing advice for how we all can reduce the likelihood of contracting swine flu. However, the Centers for Disease Control estimate that up to 40% of the U.S. workforce could be directly affected.

In this "pilot" edition of New America's new weekly podcast, Media Relations Manager Kate Brown sits down with Flynt Leverett to discuss his views on relations with Iran, the latest negotiations, and his recent dinner with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Has the momentum shifted on climate change? Lisa Margonelli, author of Oil on the Brain and director of New America's Energy Policy Initiative, argues that last week may have been the turning point. And a recent Politico article notes that big business is now pushing the Senate and White House to act.

Margonelli will be taking questions on the current state of the energy and climate debate in this week's New America/Politico Live Chat. This real-time, text-based online discussion will kick off at Noon ET / 9am PT on Tuesday, Oct. 6.

You may submit questions in advance via the comments form below -- or just return to this page at Noon ET / 9am PT on Tuesday to join in the conversation.